SUNDERLAND Transforming Our City The 3,6,9 Vision SUNDERLAND Transforming Our City The 3,6,9 Vision TRANSFORMING OUR CITY Sunderland is a place that is changing, reinventing itself Sunderland did not fare well in the world economic and being transformed from a great industrial 20th recession that began in 2008. As a city with a major century town to a modern vibrant and prosperous 21st economic dependence on world trade, the downturn in century city. global demand for manufactured products such as cars hit us hard and it is only over the last couple of years From a giant of the steam age when our coal powered that we are seeing an upturn in the number of jobs and the industrial revolution and ships built on the the number of businesses in the city. Wear sailed around the world it is becoming once again an economic powerhouse, but now as a great With a population of just over 275,000, the city has manufacturing city producing cars that are driven across about 120,000 jobs and an unemployment rate of 8.3% the world, creating software for the digital age that is against a national rate of 5.4%. While most parts of used throughout the world and positioning itself at the the country have returned to pre-recession levels of heart of a low carbon economy, that will hopefully help jobs and unemployment, Sunderland still lags behind. save the world. However the growth in the number of businesses in the city, 6,500, the city’s Gross Value Added (GVA) output at Sunderland is a city that makes things the world wants just over £5bn and a GVA per head of population at over to buy, a city that innovates and creates and a city with £18,500 do indicate a upturn in our economic fortunes. pride and passion. The challenge we face is to increase the levels It is a city that is being transformed through the of employment significantly, bringing down ambition, intelligence, drive and determination of its unemployment and at the same time increasing GVA people, working in partnership across all sectors of the levels - in other words, more and better jobs. economy and of society who have collectively created a vision of what our city could look like in 3, 6 and 9 We will achieve this through planned and structured years, based on investment that is happening, jobs that investment in both the private and public sectors. are being created, vibrancy that is returning and projects However, more jobs in Sunderland does not necessarily that are being delivered. mean a fall in the city’s unemployment rate as the Sunderland is a city that increase in demand for labour can only be met if The impact that this investment in infrastructure, our people have the required education, skills and makes things the world wants industry and education and training will have on our training to meet employers’ needs. Therefore raising city has been calculated by independent economists and our education and skills levels and an increase in the to buy, a city that innovates will be measured and monitored over the coming years number of our citizens with appropriate degrees, skills and creates and a city with by the city’s Economic Leadership Board, the group of and apprenticeships is fundamental to the success of senior leaders from Sunderland’s industry, commerce, current employers and of those employers we seek to pride and passion. public, academic and voluntary sectors, all people with attract in the future. a strong commitment to our city and with the skills, knowledge and experience to guide its economic future. Finally without a vibrant heart to the city, some of our brightest and best people will leave to work elsewhere, So where does the city stand economically today and we will not attract students, workers or investors to our where do we hope it will be in 2018, 2021 and 2024. city and we will have not have delivered to the people of Sunderland, the type of place and the quality of life they seek and deserve. 02 03 SUNDERLAND Transforming Our City The 3,6,9 Vision You will see in later sections of this document that over Advanced Manufacturing Park and the associated Without a vibrant heart to the city, some the next 9 years in Sunderland there will be: Enterprise Zone. We also anticipate strong growth in the Software Sector and the Social Enterprise Sector of our brightest and best people will • Over £1bn of investment into the city’s infrastructure creating 2,000 and 1,500 new jobs respectively. The and industrial assets; development of the Vaux site and the impact it will have leave to work elsewhere, we will not on the city centre economy should bring an additional • About 20,000 new jobs created across a range of 2,500 jobs in the period. While we anticipate a decline attract students, workers or investors sectors, increasing our productivity and reducing our in public sector jobs, we anticipate a steady growth of to our city and we will have not have unemployment levels on average at least 1.5% per year in jobs in most other sectors in the city. This should result in another 8,000 delivered to the people of Sunderland, • A more vibrant and attractive city with more – 9,000 new jobs across the city. These figures assumed happening in terms of events, entertainment and there are no significant economic disturbances and that the type of place and the quality of life culture; the UK economy continues to grow at the predicted rate in excess of 2% over the coming years • A significant increase in our levels of education, they seek and deserve. While it is true that global forces can and sometimes do training and skills. influence the economic prospects of a place, it is also the case that by working together, understanding and We see the most important sectors for job creation in promoting our city, believing in our people and their the city being the Manufacturing and Automotive sector ability and determination to achieve we can help shape where we anticipate more than 5,000 new jobs as a and drive this place and that the future of our great city result of continued organic growth in the sector and the lies in our own hands. stimulus given by the establishment of the International 04 05 SUNDERLAND Transforming Our City The 3,6,9 Vision The estimated employment and GVA impacts demonstrate a likely step change in the Sunderland economy, especially as other employment and output creation is also likely in this period. INFRASTRUCTURE One of the most important economic drivers in the Social Investment city in the coming years is the significant amount of • The Beacon of Light for the Foundation of Light infrastructure investment that is currently taking place • The Music, Arts and Culture Quarter centred around or that is planned to take place in the city. the Old Fire Station in the City Centre The following list includes some of the major We estimated that approximately a 1,000 new infrastructure developments scheduled through the construction jobs will be created during the period: construction phase. Once the construction phase Public Sector is complete and projects are brought into to use, further employment and GVA are generated. We • The Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor and the have estimated the economic impact generated by the new Wear Crossing following: • International Advanced Manufacturing Park • Developing the Vaux site. • City centre infrastructure and public realm • University led growth initiatives including the creation investments of innovation space. • New Central Business District and the development of • The International Advanced Manufacturing Park. the Vaux site • New cultural and creative quarter in the city. • Development of Chapel Garth • Further developing the existing Enterprise Zone and • Redevelopment of the seafront at Roker and Seaburn taking forward a new zone. • Sunderland Railway Station • Other capital projects. • Port Enterprise Zone • Washington Leisure Centre Our analysis shows that by 2024 it leads to additional • Bishopwearmouth Heritage Townscape Development GVA of £1.8bn over the period 2015-2024. and High Street West The main components of these impacts are employment Private Sector on the Vaux site and other city centre employment, together with employment created at the International • Premier Inn Advanced Manufacturing Park and the current and • Hilton Hotel upcoming Enterprise Zones. • Lear Corporation • Nissan The estimated employment and GVA impacts demonstrate a likely step change in the Sunderland • Vantec economy, especially as other employment and output Educational Investment creation is also likely in this period. • University’s Enterprise and Innovation Hub • University’s Phase II Science Complex • College Holmeside Campus 06 07 SUNDERLAND Transforming Our City The 3,6,9 Vision VIBRANCY One of the most important factors in the attractiveness the collaborative approach the city is taking; a feature of a city as a place to live, work or study is its level in the Northern Echo about the City of Culture Bid of vibrancy. If Sunderland is to really be a modern and the difference it will make to the city if successful; European city then vibrancy is a key ingredient. So Christmas programme PR that generated a great deal what do we mean by vibrancy? It is the feeling of of publicity; a feature in The Journal on Sunderland excitement and of things going on that make some businesses that are trading internationally; and cities great places to be. It is sometimes not an easy some good coverage of a History of Sunderland film concept to measure as people use proxies such as screening.